LAD #26: I Have A Dream

LAD #26: I Have A Dream


On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech in Washington D.C. that would go down in history as one of the most famous speeches of all time. He began by saying that, although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed 100 years ago, the African American was still not free in America. Then he went to a different piece of American rhetoric: the Declaration of Independence. He stated that it said that all men are guaranteed with certain unalienable rights and that included blacks as well as whites, but they were being denied them. This problem was urgent to the citizens of the United States. He said that then was the time for not gradual, but speedy change. However, this equality should not have been done by "wrongful deeds" like violence. Then began the most famous part of this speech. King said "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" He goes on to say that he has a dream that someday the country will be truly equal. Only then will everyone truly be able to hear "freedom ring."

LAD #25: Dawes Severalty Act

LAD #25: Dawes Severalty Act


In 1887, the Dawes Severalty Act was passed. This act stated that the President of America could divide land that belonged to Native Americans and divide it up among individual Native Americans. Each head of the family got 1/4 of a section, each adult got 1/8, each orphan got 1/8, and people under 18 years of age got 1/16. To prevent conflict, there were distinct lines between everyone's tracts of land. Native Americans were also allowed to apply to get some land if they were not on a reservation. Unfortunately for the Native Americans, the United States government still had some extent of control over those lands and many transactions possible had to go through them first. This act also allowed Native Americans who cooperated to be granted citizenship in America. However, there were still some gray areas where some groups of Native Americans were not allowed to enjoy the benefits of this act.

LAD #24: William Jennings Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech

LAD #24: William Jennings Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech


In 1896, William Jennings Bryan gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in which he addressed his populist party beliefs. In it he spoke upon the question of whether the free coinage of silver should be endorsed. Also, he tells of how he is running in the election not for a party, but rather for the principles in which he believes. Among these are that working men are the true business men and that the government should have more control over money and banking. He also holds true to the fact that he supported an income tax law that was recently declared "unconstitutional." He attacked in this speech the wishy-washy nature of McKinley's views on bimetalism and said he was confident that his party would win the election. He states that if the United States switches to bimetalism, that they would gain much power and become a major leader in the world. He finished with his famous quote that "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold" and the crowd went wild.

LAD #23: Populist Party Platform

LAD #23: Populist Party Platform


The populist party ran on a platform that wanted to restore power to the "plain people." They sought to create an overall better morality and wanted to go back to the silver standard. Their platform included numerous principles that would benefit the common man. Such principles included the fact that labor unions should always hold strong and true and that railroads should be given to the government to own. They also wanted to return to the silver standard, increase inflation, and have a graduated income tax. They also expressed certain sentiments, including that the ballot box should not be corrupted, ex-soldiers should get pensions, and national aid to a private organization should be forbidden. All in all, this party sought to end the corruption caused by big businessmen and their corporations.

LAD #22: President McKinley's War Message

LAD #22: President McKinley's War Message


In April of 1898, President William McKinley gave an address to Congress regarding his beliefs on the war between Cuba and Spain. He began by stating that the constant conflicts within Cuba were costing the United States valuable time and money. Because of this, McKinley wanted to end this conflict as quickly as possible in order to help out everyone. He gives three ways America can help end it: being "an impartial neutral," helping compromise, or coming out as an ally for one of the sides. The first makes it so there would be hostility to both sides. They would intervene to 1. end bloodshed, 2. protect our citizens, 3. help trade and business, and 4. decrease the cost it is taking on the United States. He finishes by saying that this was his opinion, but it is ultimately up to Congress to decide what they are going to do.